Spence McCracken was born in the Panama Canal Zone where his father served in the Military. After returning to the United States with his family, he was a three-year starter at center and linebacker at Robert E. Lee High School, earning All-State honors as a senior in 1966.

He received a football scholarship to Auburn University, where he earned three letters as a center between 1969-71. At Auburn he played with fellow high school teammate Terry Beasley and John Carrolls Pat Sullivan. Following college he spent a year working for Spartan Foods before deciding to give coaching a try.

His coaching career began as an assistant coach at Decatur High School in Georgia in 1973, before he returned to his alma mater as an assistant football coach and head track coach in 1974. In 1979, at the age of 28, he accepted the position of head football coach at Montgomery Academy.

In five season at Montgomery Academy his teams qualified for the playoffs four times and won four area titles.

In 1984, he returned to Robert E. Lee as head football coach and athletic director. Lee had not won much since the 1970s when he arrived. His eleven teams at Lee all had winning records and each of them made the state playoffs.

McCracken won region/area championships in every season except one (1990). His playoff record at Lee was 28-8 with a region/area record of 26-1. His teams won Class 6A State Championships in 1986, 1991 and 1992.

The Generals defeated Jess Lanier in 1986 for Coach McCrackens first State Championship. The undefeated 1986 team was ranked second nationally by USA Today and he was named national coach of the year.

In 1991 Lee held on to best Central High School from Tuscaloosa 14-7. The next season, the Generals repeated with a 14-0 shutout of Hewitt-Trussville in the title game.

McCracken stepped down following the 1994 season at Lee to take over the football program at Opelika High School. He became the head coach and athletic director at Opelika in the fall of 1995 where he has the distinction of being the winningest coach at both Opelika and Lee.

McCracken won seven region titles at Opelika and led the Bulldogs to the playoffs in each of his last eleven seasons there.

His overall coaching record stands at 279 wins, 82 losses and one tie. His region record is among the best of all time at 108-15 and his playoff record is 47-23 in 30 seasons as a head coach. He won 21 region and area championships.

Coach McCracken served as president of the AHSAA athletic directors/coaches association and coached in two Alabama-Mississippi all-star games. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Associations Hall of Fame in 2004.